sleep apnea

In wake of three federal listening sessions, ATRI's driver survey on apnea drops data on high costs. New data from readers also show the incidence of screening, testing and treatment has continued to rise in recent years.

Costs, both time and money, were big topics of conversation during the Federal Motor Carrier Safety and Federal Railroad administrations’ “fact-finding” listening session on sleep apnea/operator safety Tuesday, May 17.

"We need to make sure that the people behind the wheel understand they are not guilty until proven innocent." --Dr. Alan Lankford at FMCSA first apnea listening session. Session 2 is next week in Chicago.

With two years gone now since drivers were required to utilize a medical examiner of the national registry for med certification, this poll looks at the extent to which apnea testing has grown more common -- or not. Have you ever been tested or treated?

The sessions, in downtown Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Ill.; and Los Angeles are not in locales that are particularly truck-friendly. Here find tips on attending and an information source for parking and transport to the sessions.

The listening sessions are part of a continued effort by FMCSA to gather input on a potential sleep apnea rule. The agency wants feedback on the prevalance of obstructive sleep apnea among truck drivers and its potential consequences on the industry, along with what a sleep apnea rule may cost the industry to implement and comply with.

The survey will ask drivers about their perspectives, personal experiences and knowledge of sleep apnea. It also solicits information on sleep apnea assessments and treatments that drivers may have received, as well as the perceived effectiveness of the treatments.